1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to stringed musical instruments and, more particularly, to apparatuses such as bridges and tail pieces used in conjunction with stringed instruments as well as related methods.
2. State of the Art
Various types of stringed instruments are used to produce music. Such instruments include, for example, violins, cellos, banjos, guitars and basses including numerous variations of each. For example, guitars may include a typical six-stringed guitar, either electric or acoustic, or may include a bass guitar that in some conventional configurations, only includes four or five strings. The strings of an instrument are made to produce a musical sound by performing an act on one or more of the strings such as by drawing a bow across the strings, picking the strings (such as with a user's fingers or with a pick), plucking the strings, strumming the strings or slapping the strings as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art.
Generally, a stringed musical instrument produces musical sound through vibration of the strings after the strings have been acted upon (e.g., picked or strummed). However, the manner in which a sound is projected by a stringed instrument depends, to a certain extent, on the physical configuration of the instrument itself. For example, a stringed instrument may be classified as a hollow-body instrument (sometimes referred to as an acoustical instrument) or as a solid-body instrument (sometimes referred to as an electrical instrument). Hollow-body and solid-body instruments have different characteristics in projecting the sounds produced by the vibrating strings coupled therewith.
Generally, a hollow-body instrument, such as an acoustical guitar, produces sound by transferring the vibrations of the strings to the top, back and sides of the hollow-body. In essence, the hollow-body becomes and amplifier to project the sounds produced by the vibrating strings. On the other hand, a solid body instrument typically employs an electromagnetic sensor known as a “pick-up” which detects the vibration of each string and produces an electrical signal representative of the string's vibration. The electrical signal is passed to, and processed by, an electric amplifier which projects a sound corresponding with the vibrating string.
Strings are conventionally coupled to a stringed instrument by attaching one end of each string to a tuning peg located on a headstock of the instrument, passing a portion adjacent the second end of the string over a bridge component and attaching the second end of the string to a tail piece that is coupled to the body portion of the instrument. The specific manner in which the strings are coupled to an instrument, and particularly regarding the bridge, tail piece or both, can substantially affect the resulting playing characteristics and sound projection of the instrument.
For example, the distance that the strings are placed above an associated fretboard or fingerboard can be an important consideration for individual musicians depending, for example, on the size and strength of their hands and the reach of their fingers. Additionally, regardless of the physical characteristics of their hands, some players may have a preference for having the strings of an instrument either closer to or further away from the fret board so as to provide a specific action or feel to the instrument. Thus, the ability to adjust and have precise control over string height is an important factor to musicians in selecting and using a particular instrument. The string height of an instrument is largely determined by the bridge component of a conventional stringed instrument.
Additionally, the manner in which strings are attached to an instrument determine that manner in which the instrument is tuned or the manner in which precise intonation adjustments are made. Bridge components, tail components or a combination of both components may also be used in making intonation adjustments to the strings of an instrument.
Bridges for stringed instruments are available in numerous configurations including those which are relatively unadjustable, bridges having limited adjustability wherein adjustment of the bridge with respect to one string in an interdependent adjustment of other strings, and bridges where individual components are provided for the independent adjustment of each individual string. Examples of various bridge and tail piece designs known in the art include those which are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,686,523 and 6,613,968 issued to Devereaux et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,055 issued to Cipriani, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,543 issued to Shaw et al.
One example of a bridge component for a stringed instrument that provides both height adjustability and intonation adjustment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,078 issued to Edwards, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Edwards describes a bridge having a base and an intonation adjustment member that is slidably mounted on the base for adjusting the horizontal position at which a string is supported by the bridge. A height adjustment member is slidably mounted on the intonation adjustment member for adjusting the vertical position of the string above the body of the instrument. The intonation adjustment member includes a ramp portion for slidably supporting the height adjustment member while maintaining substantially constant contact surface area between the two members. The intonation member interlocks with the base and the height adjustment member interlocks with the intonation adjustment member.
While providing adjustability with respect to string height, intonation adjustment or both, the manner in which the strings of an instrument are coupled to its body can also have a substantial impact on the quality of the sound be produced by such strings. For example, with solid-body instruments, the design of a bridge and tail piece has a substantial impact on various qualities of the sound being produced by the strings including the tone and the sustain of the instrument. The ability of an instrument to reproduce sounds at the correct tone is vital to the quality of an instrument. The sustain of an instrument generally refers to the ability of the strings to maintain vibration for an extended period of time. Generally, musicians prefer stringed instruments that exhibit extended sustain because of the flexibility in allowing a note, chord or sound produced by a string to continue indefinitely, if desired, or to manually terminate the sound by purposefully damping the strings.
Unfortunately, the versatility provided by conventional adjustability of the strings, such as by way of an adjustable bridge, can negatively impact the sustain of an instrument and, due to the numerous individual parts, can cause the strings of the instrument to become out of tune excessively. In other words, various factors such as loose or worn bridge components (which may include structural components, fasteners and adjusting actuators), the manufacturing tolerances inherent in such components, and the accumulation of dirt and debris on or in between such components, can individually or cumulatively result in the damping of a string's vibration and, thus, severely weaken the sustain of a stringed musical instrument. Such damping, in effect, results in poor transfer of vibration and string energy into the body of the stringed instrument thereby negatively impacting the musical performance of the instrument.
In view of the shortcomings in the art, it would be advantageous to provide an improved apparatus and method for coupling strings to a stringed instrument. Such an apparatus and method may desirably provide effective adjustability of the strings while also providing increased transfer of string energy to the body of the instrument. Additionally, such an apparatus and method may also desirably provide flexibility in coupling of strings to the body of numerous types of instruments including solid-body instruments, hollow-body instruments, and instruments utilizing any number of strings.